Boiler-feeder.



No. 780,922. PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

E. M. WALKER. BOILER FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18.1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDUS M. WALIIER, OF DETROIT, 'MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR TO IDEAL BOILER WATER SUPPLY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF THE DIS- TRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BOILER-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,922, dated January 24, 1905. Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,620.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRInDUs M. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boiler-Feeders; and I declare This invention relates to boiler-feeders, and

has for its object an improved automatic boilerfeeder in which the valves between the feeder and the water-supply and between the feeder and the boiler are automatically actuated by the varying weight of a tank and. a weight counter thereto; the counterweight remains constant, and the weight of the tank is variable by varying the quantity of water therein. In boiler-feeders of this character the tank in which the water is temporarily stored during the time it is employed to actuate the valve must be located above the normal highwaterline in the boiler. In consequence of such location there is a tendency for all water in the tank to empty into the boiler, following which the tank, being lighter than the counterweight, rises and opens the valves to allow refillwater to enter, and the refill-water causes the tank to fall and open the valves to allow it to discharge into the boiler, which continues until the boiler becomes more than properly full.

The object of this invention is to so arrange the connections between the tank and the boiler that after the water rises to the proper level in the boiler the steam-pressure in the boiler acts to prevent the refillof the empty and light tank.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the boiler-tank and the connecting-pipe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of pipe connections at the top of tank. Fig. 3 is a plan view of pipe connections at the bot tom of tank.

A indicates the boiler; 13, the tank. The

tank is supported-on any suitable standard 2 by jointed pipe connections, which afford facilities for the flow of the water and the steam into and out of the tank and also furnish a support on which the tank swings. The tank B is provided with a counterweight W, the stem of which is pivotally connected at 3 to the standard 2 and connected by a link 4 to the pipe 5, which enters the tank B on its under side. The pipe 5 is pivotally connected to a link-pipe 6, and the linkpipe 6 is connected by a joint connection to the feed-pipe 7, that enters the boiler and delivers Water into the boiler near the bottom thereof.

A feed-pipe 8 from any suitable source of supply leads into pipe 7, and bothpipes 7 and 8'are provided with valves of the globe valve type, which valves are actuated by levers. The lever 7 which actuates the valve in the pipe 7, is fulcruined on a stud 7 that rises from the valve-casing between the valve and the horizontal portion of the pipe 5. The end of the lever is bent around the horizontal portion of the pipe 5. Provision is made for the necessary play of the horizontal part of the pipe 5 in the loop of the lever, so

that they may both swing on their independent pivotal points without binding.

The valve in the pipe Sis between the post 8, to which the lever 8 is fulcrumed, and the horizontal part of the pipe, around which the end of the lever 8 is bent into a loop 8. At the top end of the tank there is a single pipe 9 with a'horizontal part and with a link connection 91, by which the horizontal part 9 is connected with the pivot-coupling 92, from which branches aneXhaust-pipe 93 and a pipe 94:, that leads down to a point in a line with the normal level with the water in the boiler.

Here this pipe turns and for a space is continued in the pipe 94 at the normal level at which it is desired to keep the water in the boiler. Pipe 94-. forks, and one branch, 95,

An upright part of the branch 96 is furnished with a cheek-valve that seats upward.

The two pipes 93 and 94 are both fitted with valves of the globe type, actuated by levers 9 and 9 similar in construction and mode of operation to the levers 7 and 8*, already described.

In operation the machine is set to open the valves 81 and 9 and close the valves 71 and 9 This allows free ingress of the water to the tank B and a free exit of confined air or steam throughthe exhaust-pipe 93. At the same time the steam-inlet through pipe 94 is closed, and the outlet into the boiler through pipe 7 is closed, and the tank B fills through the pressure of water in the source of supply. When the tank B has filled to overbalauce the weight W, the tank drops. This closes the valves 81 and 9 in exhaust-pipe 93 and opens the valve 9 in pipe 94: and valve 71 in inletpipe 7. The water in the tank B is now balanced between the steam-pressure in the top of the boiler and the equal water-pressure in the bottom of the boiler and flows by gravity into the boiler, provided the horizontal portion 9 1: of the steam-pipe is above the waterlevel. As soon, however, as the water in the boiler rises to a level with the horizontal portion 94: that part fills and remains filled with water, through which steam cannot pass, but through which water will pass, driven by the force of the steam, and should the tank fill with water to an extent to cause it to drop and open the water-inlet into the boiler and the valve in the pipe 94, leading into the top of the tank, the tendency is to force the water in the pipe 94 into the top of the tank B and to produce a circulation or flow of water from the boiler through the tank. The flow, however, is checked by the check-valve 97, which only allows it to take place intermittently, because as soon as a flow is set up the force of the flowing water actuates the checkvalve and stops the flow, which is only taken up again after the flow is quieted to an extent to allow the cheek-valve to drop.

What I claim is 1. In an automatic boiler-feeder, in combination with the vertically-reciprocating tank provided with suitable supply and discharge pipes, means for actuating the valves in the said pipes by the reciprocation of said tank, a pipe leading into the top of said tank from the boiler provided with a horizontal portion in the normal high-water line of said boiler, and pipes branching therefrom,'one branch leading into the boiler above the high-water line and one below, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic boiler-feeder, in combi: nation a reciprocating tank provided with suitable supply and discharge pipes, means for actuating the valves in said pipes by the reciprocation of said tank, a pipe leading into the top of said tank from the boiler, provided with a horizontal portion in the normal highwater line of said boiler, pipes branching therefrom leading into the boiler above the high-water line and one below, the latter branch being provided with a check-valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDUS M. WALKER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BURTON, WILLIAM M. SWAN. 

